Guidelines on Blood Pressure Eased

Seems the guidelines used in the US for blood pressure have been squishy. “New guidelines published Wednesday for the treatment of high blood pressure take a step back from the long-standing position that lower is always better when managing hypertension, raising the level at which people age 60 and over should start taking medication.”

These new guidelines were overdue, in my opinion.

Turns out high blood pressure has been over-diagosed and over-treated for years. If you still have a wellness program, despite the inarguable evidence that such programs can be harmful to your employees’ health, make sure it reflects these new guidelines.

If you are on blood pressure meds, ask your doctor if your treatment reflects these new guidelines. If he or she is unaware of these new guidelines…well you know what to do then.

Tom Emerick is the President of Emerick Consulting and co-founder of Edison Health. In December 2012, Tom was listed in Forbes.com as one of 13 unsung heroes changing healthcare forever. In 2009, Tom was named by Healthspottr as one of the top 100 innovators in healthcare in the US for his work on medical ethics. Prior to consulting, Tom spent a number of years working for large corporations: Walmart Stores, Burger King, and British Petroleum.